Think Texas lawmakers forgot about the State Board of Education after this year’s legislative session came to a close on June 1? Don’t bet on it. Republican legislative leaders might have stopped efforts to reform the state board during the session, but the state board has done plenty since then to remind lawmakers why those reform efforts are so important.
Now state Sen. Eliot Shapleigh, D-El Paso, has written the board’s new chair — Gail Lowe, R-Lampasas — to express his dismay that the board is still playing politics with the education of Texas schoolchildren. In a letter to Ms. Lowe dated Sept. 8, Sen. Shapleigh recounted the contuining political nonsense that is dominating the board’s work. He noted, for example, that far-right board members had appointed unqualified ideologues to a curriculum panel and that those ideologues opposed teaching social studies students about important civil rights figures like Cesar Chavez and Thurgood Marshall. He also criticized suggestions that students learn about people and groups like Newt Gingrich, Phyllis Schlafly and the Moral Majority simply because they are politically conservative.
Money quote:
“In as clear a signal as Texas can send, the Senate stripped Don McLeroy of his chairmanship [of the state board] for precisely the unproductive, partisan behavior that now warrants delivery of this letter. Given the Legislature’s concerns, it is both alarming and disappointing to see that the Board feels comfortable continuing down the same path of politicization and gridlock.
On one issue we all agree: Texas’ future depends on how well we educate our most valuable resource—our children. Teaching children about our rich American legacy, where people from all walks, all ethnicities, and all regions of our great nation succeed by virtue of courage, hard work, honesty, and education—that is the story we ought to share with our next generation. Our children need to compete with the world using a working knowledge of real American history, not the results of the last primary.”
Texas parents should thank Sen. Shapleigh for his strong leadership in trying to rein in a state board that continues to put political agendas ahead of the education of Texas schoolchildren.
Sen. Shapleigh’s full letter to Ms. Lowe follows after the jump.
September 8, 2009
RE: Put Children First
Dear Chairwoman Lowe:
I write regarding the ongoing debate over new standards for social studies textbooks. Despite the strong rejection of an overly-politicized Board—and chairperson—by the Texas Legislature, it is becoming increasing clear that little seems to have changed since your appointment. Let us review some recent history:
- Political ideologues appointed by the far-right faction of the Board to the curriculum review panel stated that César Chavez should be removed from the standards because he is not the right kind of role model for Texas students. One panelist in particular stated that “Chavez is hardly the kind of role model that ought to be held up to our children as someone worthy of emulation.” That same member of the review panel also stated that U.S. Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall is not “a strong enough example” of an influential historical figure.
- You weighed in on this debate, surprisingly stating that Marshall and Chavez are “not particularly known for their citizenship.” Given these historical figures’ enormous accomplishments, I am curious as to your definition of “citizenship.” Perhaps you may not realize that Justice Marshall was the first African American to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court and the lawyer that argued Brown v. Board of Education, the landmark case that dismantled the legal basis for racial segregation in schools and other public facilities. Additionally, you may not realize that Chavez was the 20th century’s leading voice for migrant farm workers in the U.S. Through Chavez’s leadership, the formerly-marginalized group’s horrible working conditions were brought to the nation’s attention and thus dramatically improved. Regardless of your protestations, however, both Marshall and Chavez are included in the first draft of the high school U.S. history standards.
- Predictably, the first draft of the high school U.S. history standards requires Texas high school students to “identify significant conservative advocacy organizations and individuals, such as Newt Gingrich, Phyllis Schlafly, and the Moral Majority,” yet fails to balance this with any progressive figures or groups.
As you know, the Board’s rank partisanship has caught the Legislature’s attention. During the 81st Legislative Session, the Legislature responded in a bipartisan manner with at least a dozen bills that would either strip elements of the Board’s authority, subject the Board’s activities to heightened legislative scrutiny, or require more public disclosure of the Board’s activities. In as clear a signal as Texas can send, the Senate stripped Don McLeroy of his chairmanship for precisely the unproductive, partisan behavior that now warrants delivery of this letter. Given the Legislature’s concerns, it is both alarming and disappointing to see that the Board feels comfortable continuing down the same path of politicization and gridlock.
On one issue we all agree: Texas’ future depends on how well we educate our most valuable resource—our children. Teaching children about our rich American legacy, where people from all walks, all ethnicities, and all regions of our great nation succeed by virtue of courage, hard work, honesty, and education—that is the story we ought to share with our next generation. Our children need to compete with the world using a working knowledge of real American history, not the results of the last primary.
I ask that you keep these words in mind as you continue to shape the standards that will guide the next generation’s education. For once, do right by the students, not by your political ideology.
Very truly yours,
Eliot Shapleigh
